Kidnapped: The Adventures of David Balfour (The World's Best Reading)

by Robert Louis Stevenson, Steven Crossley, Louis Rhead, et al.

Book Overview

Acclaimed by Henry James as Robert Louis Stevenson's best novel, Kidnapped achieves what Stevenson called, the particular crown and triumph of the artist...not simply to convince, but to enchant.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0895772329
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: The Readers Digest Association, Inc.
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Classic historical fiction by R.L. Stevenson

Originally written as a boy's adventure novel, modern readers will probably consider it more a book for adults. My father gave it to me when I was eight, after I'd read _Treasure Island_, and I disliked it then immensely, put off by the lack of plot movement, the Scots dialect, and the total absence of pirates. Re-reading it now on the Kindle, I admit it's a lot more enjoyable, partly because the Kindle's dictionary helps translate some of the Scots dialect, partly because I'm a more mature reader. The plot is fairly straightforward (skip this paragraph if you want to avoid spoilers): Our Hero, David Balfour, is tricked out of his rightful inheritance by an evil uncle, shanghaied, shipwrecked, partnered with a historical figure (one Alan Breck Stewart) and caught up in the events of an unsolved historical mystery (the "Appin Murder"). The body of the novel is a day-by-day description of their flight through the Scottish highlands, on the run from the Redcoat troops searching them out. Overall, the novel succeeds in creating some degree of tension and suspense, especially in the first half or so, with some classic melodrama elements. The latter half of the novel drags a bit, though, and would probably be less appealing to younger readers and more enjoyable for readers more interested in Stevenson's prose style. There is a great deal of Scots dialect, but the most obscure words are footnoted and some (but not all) of the less-obscure words are in the Kindle's dictionary. Overall, I'd recommend this highly to a fan of books like Sir Walter Scott's _Waverly_ or _Rob Roy_, or to anyone who had a particular love of historical fiction set in the 18th-century scottish highlands. There is a sequel, written by Stevenson, with the alternate titles of _David Balfour_ and _Catriona_. Those wishing more information about the "Appin Murder" can find a chapter discussing it in Andrew Lang's "Historical Mysteries" (also available as a free Kindle download).

Wonderful!

I don't have to review this classic story, but just the illustrations, which are totally wonderful! I almost always buy a particular children's book by its illustrations, and the ones in this book are fantastic!

High adventure and edge of your seat suspense...

I find that Mr. Stevenson is a very talented writer because his story was described excellently and the suspense seemed very real.Kidnapped is the story of a young man's adventures. This particular young man was named David Balfour. After his parents passed away David set off in search of his rich uncle, to find himself a new home. Little did he know that on his arrival that his uncle would try to chase him away with a gun, and would be the most miserly person David had ever met. For fear of having to feed David, the uncle had him kidnapped aboard a ship that would take him to America to work on the plantations. Due to an unexpected change in the weather, however, the ship was wrecked on the coast of Scotland, and there the adventure began.On the back of the novel it says that this book has been enjoyed by generations and shall be enjoyed for generations to come. When I chose to read this novel I wasn't sure if that statement would be true. I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the story, I found it to be well written and exciting. I looked forward to the end because I was curious to see what would happen. I'd say any book that is good enough to be deemed a classic has an importance all it's own. I have not read many classics but I find this book important because it holds a lot of information pertaining to the history and culture of Scotland and it's people. In other words, this is a great story, read it!

On "Kidnapped"

"Kidnapped" is the second of Stevenson's two most famous adventure novels, the other being "Treasure Island." The novel is not only a marvelous tale of adventure, friendship and suspense, but is also an exploration of the eighteenth-century Scottish culture. Through brilliant use of dialect and faithful imitation of the Scottish Highlanders, Stevenson conveys to us the life of the Highland rogue during that period. Also, the book can be viewed as a story of a sixteen-year-old's passage to manhood, achieved through risk-taking, friendships and bravery. An essential read.